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The dishonesty of the PN in attacking Alternattiva Demokratika for being part of the European Federation of Green Parties can easily be understood when one mulls over the fact that the EPP, of which the Nationalist Party forms part, where the ones who overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Sandbaek report, to enable the EU to fund abortions in developing countries. I do not recall either the PN, the ‘Yes’ campaign or the MIC headed by Dr.Simon Busuttil having had any scruples to continue with their affiliation of the EPP when this became known.
The implication of this vote means that while the PN tells us that it has obtained an understanding that Malta will not be forced to legislate in favour of abortion, it never informed us, that none the less it accepted its partners decision to fund abortions in developing countries.
The idea that Malta will not be forced to legislate in favour of abortion is another lie, because it is outside the EU`s competency to dictate on such matters.
So for all their cant and oozing hypocrisy the PN are still shoulder to shoulder with the EPP. Thanks to the EPP vote, Malta has no choice, but to help fund abortions in developing countries, just as Eddie Privitera claimed at the time.
This short extract can be found on the internet: “On 21 Jan 2003 the Development Committee of the European Parliament adopted the Sandbaek Report on ‘Reproductive and sexual health and rights in developing countries,’ nearly unanimously.
“Thus, according to the Parliament’s rules of procedure, the text will be submitted to the Parliament's plenary session for voting without debate or amendment. Furthermore, as it is a co-decision procedure, there will be no second reading.”
The Sandbaek report defines a new financial regulation including the possibility to pay for abortions from the development aid budget. Amendments tabled by Dover-Hannan which aimed at removing this possibility were rejected.
The PN seem to be utterly incapable of facing an election without employing chicanery and gross deceit. I feel that this time it has gone too far and I trust that the electorate will not be bamboozled again by what the Lord described as white washed graves.
MEPs Ribeiro and Diva were the only members of the Committee that voted in favour of the Dover-Hannan amendments and against the full report. The other MEPs of the EPP group voted in favour of the report, or did not even come to the meeting or simply left the room to avoid having to vote.
Ms M D Spiteri
Qawra
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